


...You Get What You Need

by Writer_Geekgirl



Series: Castiel and Dean: An Apocalyptic Love Story [11]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Amnesiac Castiel (Supernatural), Castiel/Dean Winchester in the Men of Letters Bunker, Destiel Promptober, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Wizard of Oz References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-15 22:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21025835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer_Geekgirl/pseuds/Writer_Geekgirl
Summary: Castiel makes a startling realization of who Sam and Dean really are.This work is part of a Destiel Promptober 2019 prompt series. The stories are inspired by two different word prompts each day but the short vignettes will all tie in together and weave a larger story. Each story will be standalone (for the most part).The prompts for the day are: Snow and Types of Witches





	...You Get What You Need

Dean drove the car carefully in the snow as they headed to Kansas. After hearing about the bunker from Castiel, Sam convinced the others that they should go there next. At this point, Dean just wanted to sleep somewhere where he didn't wake up half a dozen times a night convinced zombies were about to eat them.

Castiel, Sam, and Rowena were all quiet, lost in their thoughts, during the drive. Signs of human activity started appearing along the highway. When they hit the Indiana border, a checkpoint blocked the road. After proving satisfactory that none of them had been exposed to the Croatian virus, they were allowed to pass. There was a small military presence. Some towns were still abandoned, but they were pretty picked over. Fortunately, gas stations were starting to appear sporadically on the road. Dean had fretted about money for a while until Rowena pulled out things they could barter for gas. Even though years had passed, technology hadn't grown much because of the collapse of the economy worldwide.

Dean considered pulling over because of the snow, but he looked at Castiel in the backseat. Dean needed some space to figure out what he was feeling about Castiel and why he was feeling it. His shoulder was warmer when Castiel got closer to him and ached when Castiel was withdrawn. None of it made any sense to Dean.

AS they passed into the Kansas border, Castiel broke the silence. "Oz was real."

Sam asked, "Huh?"

"There was a portal to Oz. I remember being told about it by my Dean. There were a wicked witch and Dorothy in the bunker. It's another memory fragment that I have no context for."

"Son of a bitch. Oz was real?" Dean reiterated.

Castiel raised an eyebrow, "That's what I just said."

Sam sputtered, "That's amazing. Where was the portal and how did they open it?"

Castiel slumped in his seat. "I can't remember."

Rowena touched Castiel's shoulder, "It's ok, dearie. You'll remember in the by and by."

Castiel asked, "In Oz, the witches of the North and South are good. Witches of the East and the West are wicked according to the lore. So, what makes a witch wicked, Rowena?"

"There's a bit of the good and wicked in all of us, halo. It's not just witches though. Everything has a balance," Rowena said, looking at Castiel mistrustfully.

"Would you consider yourself primarily wicked or good?" Castiel asked.

"I think it changes over time. I used to be very selfish. However, when the zombies came, I saw what true evil was. I tried to help as many humans as I could get to safety, but it was a terrible time. A horrible time." She shuddered. "I used to think I was bad, but I've seen the face of true evil now. Once you see that, you cannot unsee it."

Castiel nodded thoughtfully. "I saw Lucifer's true face once."

Sam asked, "Lucifer is real?"

"Lucifer, Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael are all real. But…" Castiel's face flickered as memories passed through him. With a snap of his fingers, he had exploded Raphael. He mourned the loss of Gabriel. He was relieved at the death of Lucifer, but he remembered with haunting clarity a boy shouting he was a Winchester before killing Michael. Castiel breathed deeply, "But they all died where I am from." He grew quiet again. 

Castiel didn't talk again until he told Dean how to get the car in the bunker garage. After parking the car, Rowena, Sam, and Dean went to explore the bunker. Castiel walked Dog outside in the snow before retreating into a bedroom of the bunker. He sat on the bed as he remembered a smiling boy offering his a handful of cereal form a box he had hidden in his room. Castiel sucked in a deep breath and felt a wave of grief flow over him. He had lost someone dear to him, but he didn't remember who or how.

A soft knock rapped on the door. Dean stuck his head in, "Cas, you ok?"

He said tiredly, "I'm fine, Dean."

"And I'm the queen of England." Dean sat on a chair. After a few minutes of salience, Dean said, "I'm sorry, Cas."

"What for? You haven't done anything."

"I've treated you like crap since we left Michigan. I'm sorry I'm not him."

Castiel tilted his head, "Don't be. I think you are far happier than he was. I'm fearful that I'm the cause of a great deal of his unhappiness."

Dean smiled sadly, "I bet he thought it was worth it to have you in his life."

Castiel looked perplexed as something occurred to him. "Dean, how did you find me? I didn't hear you knock on any other doors."

Dean said shyly, "It's the damnedest thing, Cas. Whenever I get close to you, my shoulder feels like it's humming. When I get further away, it stops. When you get too far away it hurts. It's like I got Cas-dar."

"I don't get that reference. But… That should only happen if you are my Dean. I'm the one that gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."

"Raised me from what now…"

A look of wonder flashed over Castiel's face. "I do not understand how this is possible." A moment later, the look was chased with a panicked expression, "What have I done?"

"You're confusing the hell out of me, Cas. What the hell is perdition?"

Castiel looked at him wildly, "I broke the universe. I changed the time stream. You are my Dean but you can't be because you haven't been to Hell so the bond wouldn't have been created so you wouldn't feel our bond through your shoulder. I have made a temporal paradox." Castiel started to hyperventilate.

Dean put his arms around him and held him close. "It's ok, Cas. Whatever is happening, it's ok."

Castiel looked at him, "You're my Dean."

"I got that impression the first two times you said it."

"And were bonded even though I never raised you from Hell."

Dean squinted at him, "If you say so."

Castiel surged forward and kissed him. Dean froze a moment before kissing him back. After several minutes, Castiel pulled back. "But that fact remains that I broke the universe."

"Or maybe you saved it?" 

"How?"

Dean replied, "I don’t know how. But you don't know how you supposedly broke it either."

Castiel rested against Dean exhausted. They were home, they were safe for now, but the other shoe would eventually drop.


End file.
